# Orion Flight Test - Dec, 4 2014
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [December 4, 2014, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306 "2014-12-04T10:51:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2014, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/1 "2014-12-04T10:51:07Z")
For those of you on the East Coast, NASA is sending up a Flight Test of their new Orion rocket this morning around 7:00am. I’ve been up all night at work following the count down and catching up on some YouTube videos of the project.
Unfortunately, I’ll be sleeping during the splash down but looks like a spectacular machine!
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### Author:  [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/2 "2014-12-04T19:14:02Z")
Well, I stayed up as late as I could after a night shift, and it wasn’t looking good, so I went to sleep.
Another attempt tomorrow morning.
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/3 "2014-12-04T19:21:53Z")
I’d only heard about this this morning on the radio. And yeah, it’s rescheduled until Friday now.
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### Author:  [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2014, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/4 "2014-12-04T19:24:02Z")
Around the same time I think - 7 AM EST.
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/5 "2014-12-04T19:30:15Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> I’d only heard about this this morning on the radio. And yeah, it’s rescheduled until Friday now.
The capsule will reach an altitude of almost 6,000 kms, or about 18 times the distance from Earth as the ISS.
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### Author:  [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/6 "2014-12-04T21:12:27Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> The capsule will reach an altitude of almost 6,000 kms, or about 18 times the distance from Earth as the ISS.
Best I can gather, the final stage will make one trip around in low earth orbit before firing again to go into a single higher trajectory orbit then back to splash down. Something like a total of 4-5 hours in flight.
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### Author:  [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/7 "2014-12-04T21:16:10Z")
I might get up early for this. I said might.
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### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2014, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/8 "2014-12-04T23:23:44Z")
I watched / listened. First there was the boat in the red zone, then the wind exceeded limits (possibly more than once) - then the fuel valves had issues.
Will check tomorrow…
Brian
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### Author:  [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2014, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/9 "2014-12-05T12:26:29Z")
A flawless launch! So far, so good.
Rocket science, baby!
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2014, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/10 "2014-12-05T12:38:00Z")
Listened to it in the car as my car pool mate watched it. Way cool. Still driving and this is like the forth or fifth item on the news. ☹
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2014, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/11 "2014-12-05T12:46:27Z")
Did the live video feed drop out for anyone besides me? I saw the launch, then it froze until about 4 minutes past launch when it picked up again.
Great launch, a good day.
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### Author:  [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2014, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/12 "2014-12-05T12:50:10Z")
The Mars Era begins today! Outstanding!
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2014, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/13 "2014-12-05T12:53:58Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> Did the live video feed drop out for anyone besides me? I saw the launch, then it froze until about 4 minutes past launch when it picked up again.
>
> Great launch, a good day.
Video froze in the car at about 5 seconds after launch. We were starting to worry for the worst!
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### Author:  [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2014, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/14 "2014-12-05T12:56:34Z")
Watched it. Cool. Good news today on launch.
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### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2014, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/15 "2014-12-05T13:33:41Z")
I also had video issues - luckily the local morning news was also carrying it (plus NASA had some replays)
Brian
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### Author:  [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2014, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/16 "2014-12-05T13:48:43Z")
YouTube link for the launch [Liftoff of Orion - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hn8qnsucwo)
I think I need to step up by KSP designs. I shed boosters like they’re going out of style but these stay on forever. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/17 "2014-12-05T14:32:56Z")
Missed it.
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### Author:  [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/18 "2014-12-05T16:35:08Z")
Capsule splashed down just a few minutes ago. I watched NASA’s live coverage for the most part, really interesting stuff there, especially toward the end. Loved the Ikhana footage. The whole mission looked pretty flawless.
Nice work NASA!
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### Author:  [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/19 "2014-12-05T16:41:44Z")
Although it landed upright, it looks like only 3 of the 5 uprighting airbags inflated fully.
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orion-flight-test-dec-4-2014/706306/20 "2014-12-05T17:35:12Z")
Well done NASA! (And Lockheed Martin and Boeing.)
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